We have identified nearly 50 different plant species on the new bund this June, and that’s before we include the grasses – Yorkshire Fog, Ryegrass, Cocksfoot and Meadow Foxtail amongst them.
Some plants have been a surprise. The Sea Rocket, which normally grows in sand, has appeared in three places along the bund and developed from a few spindly stems with a handful of flowers into beautiful, bushy masses of purple blossoms. The Scarlet Pimpernel made a slow start but now seems to be spreading happily along the compacted flat earth, along with the Silverweed.
Some species are difficult to identify for certain. The yellow dandelion-like flowers could be Hawksbeard, Oxtongue, Mouse-ear, Cat’s-ear, Goat’s beard or Colt’s-foot. It’s hard to tell whether the Tare is Hairy or Smooth until we can see its seed pods. The thistles are complicated.
It’s interesting to guess which seeds were already dormant in the soil and which have come from the wildflower mix sown in January. It will be even more interesting to see what appears next. The bees love it.
Species spotted so far include:
Black Medick
Bull Thistle
Buttercup
Broad leaf plantain
Charlock
Common Chickweed
Common Fumitory
Common Yarrow
Creeping Cinquefoil
Creeping Thistle
Daisy
Dandelion
Field Pennycress
Fleabane
Forget-me-not
Hawksbeard
Hogweed
Hedge Mustard
Lady’s Bedstraw
Lesser Trefoil
Mallow
Meadow Pea
Pineapple Weed
Poppy
Red Dead Nettle
Ribwort Plantain
Rough Hawkbit (Or Hawkweed or Nipplewort or Cat’s Ear…?)
Salad Burnet
Scarlet Pimpernel
Scentless Mayweed
Sea Plantain
Sea Rocket
Shepherd’s Purse
Silverweed
Slender Thistle
Sweet Clover
Sorrel
Speedwell
Tare (Hairy or Smooth)
Tufted Vetch
White campion
White Clover
Wild carrot
Wild Clary
